Beet-harvesting machine



Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

F. W. KNOWLES.

BEET HARVESTING MACHINE. APPLlcAxoN FILED Mms. 1911.

WITN ESS ES ATTORNEY F. w. KNowLEs.

BEET HARVESTING MACHINE.

ArPucArloN FILED APR. 3. 1911.

Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR www/Mam;

ATTORNEY F. W. KNOWLES. am HAnvEsTmG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FlLED APR. 3. 1911.

Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

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`WITNESSES ATTORNEY F.w. KNowLEs.

BEET HABVESTING MACHINE.

llllllllllllll ED APR a. 19u.

Patented 1mn 27, 1921.

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Q Il? lill F. W. K-NOWLES. BEET HABVESTINGMACHINE. Awucmou mfp APK. a.1917. 1,401,41 3, Patented D66. 27, 1921.

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WITNESSES .F. W. K'NOWLES. am HAavEsTmG MACHINE. APPLlcATloN FILED mha,|911. 1,401,413-, Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6- INVENTOF ATTORNEY WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

FRANK W. KNOWLES, OF PORTLAND, BEGON.

BEET-HARVESTING MACHINE.

Specilcation of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

Application led April 3, 1917. Serial No. 159,464.

. and useful Improvements in BeetHarvest ing Machines, of `which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to beet harvesting machines, and has for itsprincipal object to provide a machine for the purpose described imounted on ground wheels to enable the same to be drawnthrough a fieldof beets by horse or other form of power, and in passing through thefield to loosen the beets growing therein, pulling them from the groundand delivering them to a cutting device for severing the tops from thebeets and directing the latter to a hopper carriedby the machine. Thetops after the beets are severed are carried toward the opposite endofthe machine and there delivered to a conveyer and from thencedelivered intoa hopper. f

`Another object of the invention is to rovide in a beettopping machineof the c ar` `1 acter described means for gathering the top .i groundand raises them to the cutting mech-` provide a beet harvesting machinemountedl or foliage part of the beet plant into a bunch and hold thesame thus hunched` in convenient position to be gripped by the gathering wheel which pulls the beets :from the anism, by means of which theroot portion is severed from the foliage portion and the respectiveparts delivered to hoppers at oppositeends of the machine.

A further object of the invention is to i on a vehicle frame with groundwheels and provided with a gathering wheel `driven from the groundwheels and` rotating at the same speed, said gathering wheel being provided with means for gripping the tops of beets after they have beenbunchedby `suitable devices on the machine and withdraw' ing the plantsfrolnthe ground after the same have been loosened by suitable shovelsmounted upon the vehicle frame.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a beet harvestingmachine which shall be simple in construction with regard i to the workto be performed, of relatively few parts and easily maintained inoperative condition by a single man riding upon the vehicle. o p

serve to With the above as the principal objects 1n view, the inventionconsists of the novel construction, combination, and arrangement ofparts hereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claims andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a topplan view of the complete machine.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the entire machine as viewed from theright-hand side.

Fig. 3 is a similar view as seen from the left side.

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the machine onthe line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view enlarged through the gatheringwheel on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross sectional view girough the machine `on theline 6-6 of Fig. 7 is an elevation of a portion of the gathering wheelas seen from the side visible in Fig. 3 and showing larger and moreclearly the cutting mechanism for severing beets from the foliage.

Fig.` 8 is an enlarged detail view partly in section of the cuttingdevice.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of so much of the cutting device as is shownin Fig. 8. i

Fig. 10 is a detail longitudinal sectional view of a portion of theframe showing more clearly the elevating mechanism for the gatheringwheel. i

Fig. 1l. is a cross sectional viewon theline 13-13 of Fig. 10.

In the drawings, lidesignates the mau.- frame of the .vehicle upon whichthe hai vester is supported. i This trame compriseJ two outsidelongitudinal. beams 1,6. al front beam' 17 extending transverselybetween the side beams and a rear beam 18 similarly disposed between theside beams at the back of the machine. Between the forward beam 17 andrear beam 18 are two parallel longitudinal brace beams 19 that extend ina diirection parallel to the side beam 16. but at a higher elevation.the ends of the braces 19 being bent downwardly for attachment to thefront and rear beams 17 and 18, respec tively. The longitudinal bracesare secured. about one-third the width ot the machine from therespective sides thereof, and thus greatly strengthen the main frame andprovide means to which a number of the operating parts may be attached.At each side of the machine a short distance in trent of the transversecenter thereof is a ground wheel 2O upon which the entire machine issupported. These wheels rotate each on a short horizontal shaft 2lrotatable in turn ina bearing` 22 bolted to the inner ace ol the sidebeams 16. The wheels 2O are on the outer side of the main frame and areloose on their shafts, but may be connected thereto when ,moving in aforward direction by a pawl and ratchet mechanism 23 ot any wellknowntype for the purpose of permitting free movement of the wheels when themachine is forced rearwardly, or when on turning, one wheel travels atless speed than the other and thus permittingr freer movement betweenthe two drive wheels. The inner end of each shaft` 2l has mountedthereon a sprocket wheel 24 for imparting motion to the beet diggingwheel through sprocket chains 25 passing around the sprocket wheels 24to other sprocket wheels 26 keyed on the shaft 27 of the gathering orpulling wheel 28. The shaft 27 of the gathering wheelV 28 extends acrossthe trame in horizontal direction, its ends terminating` near the innerfaces of the side frames 16 and are rotatably seated in bearing caps 29,said caps each being provided with a pulley 30y and both cap andpulley'of each bearing are mounted in a housing 31 bolted to a side:trame 16. A cable 32 fixed at one end to the housing and passinofdownwardly below the pulley 30, thence upwardly and over a second pulley33 pivoted in the housing and to' a suitable operating means hereinafterdescribed, serves to support the shaft 27 and the gathering wheel 2S andby pulling' on or releasing the cables at the two sides of the frame,the gathering wheel may be raised or lowered to the desired workingposition.

The gathering wheel of the present invention comprises a hub 3st mountedon thc shaft 27 between the longitudinal braces 19, said'hub having awide disk-like flange 35 on each end, to the peripheral edge of whichflanges are hinged circular radiating series of gripping blades 36. Theblades are pivotedto their respective'flanges 35 'to permit freeswinging movement inwardly toward each other but their outward movementis limited when said blades are in line with the flanges. Each blade hassecured to its outer tree end a gripping plate 37, about one-half thelength of the blade and extending'toward the hub at an angle to saidblade on its inner side. The angle ot the plates with respect to theblades carrying them is such that when opposite complementary, bladesare inclined toward each other into operating position, the plateswilllieclose. together and in parallel relation and serve to take lirnihold of the tops or foliage of' the beet plants and at the proper momentwithdraw said plants l'roin the ground, Preferably the working` faces ofthe plates 37 are longitudinallyY corrugated as shown.

The movements ol the blades 23C are controlled by a cam track 25S oncach side ol. the, gathering wheel 28, said tracks being olf anysuitable construction, but in the present instance are shown to be madeeach of a small metal bar ol circular cross section, concentricallycurved with relation to the peripheral edges of the blades 3G, buthaving various inclinations and ell-sets 3i 1 to and 'from the blades inorder to cause the blades to travel in the proper direction :is thegathering wheel rotates. Each blade has a hook-like member 39 fastenedthereto near its outer end, the inner end ol said member terminating asa linger to overlie the track 38 and to maintain the blade ai' all timesin full operative engagement there,- with. Each cam track 3S is mountedat one end ot a hub 41 by means ol radial arins 'lil which extend fromsaid hub to the traclf. The opposite end ol each hub is Vfurnished witha grooved sliding member Al?) adapted to move vertically in a frame hl-l bolted to the underside ot a longitudinal brune if?. there being twoof these guides, one on the under side of each brace. Each guide isformed of two vertical girders +15 spared apart to permit easy movemento l the slides 43 therebetween and connected together at the bottom by across piece At6 and at the top by a longer cross piece 4:7, throughwhich bolts -lS pass for securingthe guide to the longitudinal brace.

In front ol the gathering wheel 28 and inclining downwardly andforwardly therefrom toward the ground are long lingers -l-S). disposedas shown, two on each side of the central line of the machine andbetween which the tops or foliage of the beets pass and which serve tocollect the foliage into bunches for convenient gathering by the wheel.These foliage gatherers are suspended near their rear ends from links 50pivoted at 5l to the longitudinal braces l0. Near the outer ends of thefoliage gatherers are other links 52 pivoted theretoat their lower endsand at their upper ends to roel(- ing levers 53, mounted on a shaft 5f!pivoted to a fixed portion of the frame. A second link 55 is connectedto an upright arin on the shaft lill and extends upwardly to a bellcranklever 5G pivoted on the, frame 19 and from which an operating rod 57extends rearwardly to a hand-lever 5S pivoted to the frame adjacent theoperators seat 5S).

A second lever (l0 adjacent the seat 5t) and maintained in any desiredposition b v a locking pawl and sector Gil is aflixed on a horizontalshaft 61 turning in y. bearings at the rear of the frame and havingupstanding arms 62, each connected by a rod 62 to the cable 32 thatpasses under the axle of the gathering wheel and serves to raise andlower the latter. Between the cable connection and the rod 62al isplaced a compression s rin 63 which serves to cushion the weig t o thegathering wheel, the spring being sufiiciently stiff to permit theraising and lowering of the wheel without diiiculty or undue yielding onthe part of the spring and so interfere with the vertical movementofsaid wheel. s j

In front of the gathering wheel. 28 and fixed to each 1ong1tudina1 braceis a depending vertical hanger 64, the lower ends of said hangers beingeach maintained in rigid position by upwardly inclined braces 65`connected to the bottom of the hanger. Mounted on each hanger is theforward end of a plow beam 66 the rear end of said beam carrying ashovel 67 which may be raised and lowered and when lowered serves toloosen the groundonneach side of the beet lants, the shovel, as will beseen from the rawings, being directly under the shaft 27 of `thegathering wheel and when lowered will engage the earth to loosen thesame at the same time the "ripping blades begin to pull the beet from eearth. The plows are each raised and lowered as required by mani ulatinga lever 68` near the seat 59, from wliich lever a linkLpasses to abell-crank lever 69 and from saidlever a second link 70 passesdownwardly to be attached to the plow beam. i

After the beets have been pulled from the ground, they are severed fromthe tops bv a cutting mechanism 71 illustrated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9. Inthese `views is shown a supporting frame 72 bolted at its lower end totwo of the arms 42 on which the cam track 38 onfone `side of the machineis mounted adjacent the gathering wheel. said frame having anarm 72continued up wardly above the periphery of the gathering wheel and tothis arm is ivoted at 7 3 a bifur-cated finger or feeler 4, the twofingers overlying the series of b1adesf36 on the two sides of thegathering wheel, the space between the fingers being of a width topermit the beet topsfwhere they spring from the beet to pass between.Pivoted to the frame 72 below the edge of the gathering wheel is anoutwardly projecting rod 75 over the outer end of `which is slidablymounted a spring casing 76, `while within the casing is placed a coilspringen, the `ends of which press respectively against the outer end ofthe rod 7 5` and the bottom of the casing 76. 0n the outer end` of thecasing 76 is a bracket 7 8 that extends between the lingers of the`feeler, and mounted on the end of the bracket is a knife 7 9, theforward or cutting edge of which projects beyond the bracket toward therear of the machine. At one side of the bracket 78 is fixed a pin 8Omovable in a curved longitudinal slot 81 in one of the fingers of thefeeler as shown. Forming a part of the frame 72 is a bearl ing 82,within which a shaft 83 rotates. Fixed to the upper end of this shaft isan eccentric 84, about which passes an eccentric strap connected by ashort bar 86 with the knife rod 7 The lower end of the shaft 83 carriesa pinion 87 that is driven by a spur gear 88 mounted on the hub flange35 on the same side of the machine.

Between the two series of blades 36 of the gathering wheel on theopposite side of the shaft from the cutting mechanism is an endlessconveyer 89 for removing the tops from the machine after the beets havebeen cuttherefrom. This conveyer comprises a belt 90 rotatable about twodrums 91 and 92 mounted on shafts carried in the ends of a spreader bar93, seated between the upper and lower' runs of the belt, said spreaderbar being supported on a cross girder 94 bolted to the tops to the twolongitudinal braces 19.` One of the shafts 95 carrying the drum 92extends beyond the spreader frame toward one side of the machine `andterminates in a beveled pinion 96 that meshes with a like pinion 97 on alongitudinal downwardly inclined shaft 98 that runs toward the spur gear88 and carries a pinion 99 on its ends to mesh `with said spur gear .forthe purpose of driving the conveyer 'when the machine is in operation.

On the side of the machine opposite the cutting mechanism and in rear ofthe shaft 27 is a hopper 100, open at its top, the upper edge of whichis substantially in line with the top of the side girder 16.

Extending upwardly from the forward end of the hopper 100 is an inclinedplatform 108, the upper end terminating close to the blades 36 on .thesame side of the machine below the cutting mechanism for the purpose ofreceiving the beets after `they have been severed from the tops anddirecting them into the hopper 100.

At the forward end of the machine in front of the hopper 10() and on thesame side is a second hopper 123 from which a receiving platform 12a`extends upwardly and in inc-lined directionbelow the forward end of theendless conveyer and receives the tops from said conveyer `and conductsthem into the hopper 123.

A machine such as described isoperated by drawing the same through afield of beets by horses or other power, the machine passingsuccessively over the rows of beets, and as it is drawn along, thefoliage carriers A19 with their forward ends near the ground pass belowthe leaves of the beet plants and having an upward inclination andconverging somewhat to Yard theii rear ends, these leaves arebroughtinto a more or less close bunch to enable them to readily pass betweethe gripping blades 36 of the gathering wheel 28. The forward movementof the machine will, of course, turn the ground wheels 20, and thesewheels through their connection by the sprocket chains with thegathering wheel 28 will rotate the gathering wheel at the same speed theground wheels. The gripping blades 36 projecting` radially frein the hubflanges 235 are guided in a manner hereinafter described, by the two camtracks 38 to move toward and from each other at proper time to firmlygrip the leaves or foliage of the beet plants and withdraw the plantsfrom the ground. The gathering Vwheel then Acarries the plants to thecutting lmechanism where the beets are severed from the tops and fallinto the hopper 100. The tops, still carried by the gathering wheel, arelater dropped on the coirveyer` 90 and finally delivered into the hopperV123.

As shown in the drawings, the gripping blades 36 as they are rotated bythe gripping wheel, will, when they arrive in front of the shaft 27, beat their greatest distance aparty and will lie in planes parallel to thehub flanges The gripping plates 3T on the inner sides of these grippingblades converge inwardly being separated widest at their outer ends topermit the ready entrance ltherebetween of the beet foliage as it passesfrom the vfoliage gatherers 49. Rotation of the gathering wheel willcarry the supported gripping plates 37 downwardly and rearwardly andthen upwardly to a point a on the cam tracks, see Figs. 2 and 3, wheresaid tracks begin to approach each other. This convergence of the trackspresses the opposite series of gripping blades 36 toward each other,causing the blades to swing on their Vhinged connections until thegripping plates 37- are brought to rest in parallel relation andsufficiently close together to grip firmly the foliage or leaves of thebeet plants. At this time the gripping blades will be immediately belowthe shaft 27 and on the point rising toward the rear of the wheelv forwithdrawing the beet plants from the ground. To assist this operationthe plow beams 6G are `lowered so that the shovels 67 will enter theground on each side of the gathering wheel and suiliciently closethereto to break up and loosen the earth around the beet plants so thatthe beets may be withdrawn without danger of breaking. the leaves fromthe roots.

After the beets have been unearthed they are carried upwardly by therotation of the gathering wheel until near the highest point in itsrevolution, where the beets projecting radially from the gripping blades36, encounter the bifurcated feelers or lingers Til. The leaves of thebeet plants pass between the fingers of the feeler close to the root andapproach a knife 79 which being given constant and rapid reciprocationthrough the eccentric 84 slices the beet from the foliage. The beets arethrown to one side of the gathering wheel upon the inclined platform 10Sand fall into the hopper 100.

The foliage or leaves of the beet plants after the roots have beensevered therefrom are carried around by the gripping blades 3G until theendless conveyer has been reached at which point the cam tracks 38 arebent outwardly as at l) to cause the blades 3S to separate and releasethe beet tops which fall upon the conveyer 90 and are carried forwardlythereon to the inclined receiving platform 124- from which the tops slipdownwardly into the hopper 123.

lhat I claim is:

l. In a beet harvesting machine. a revolving gripping device forgrasping the tops of beet plants and withdrawing said plants from theground, cutting means for severing the beets from their tops anddelivering the beets to a receptacle, and vibratory means forreciprocating said cutting means operated by the rotation of thegripping device.

2. ln a beet harvesting machine, a vertically adjustable revolvinggripping device for grasping the tops of beet plants and withdrawingsaid plants from the ground, and cutting means for severing the beetsfrom their tops and delivering the beets to a receptacle, said cuttingmeans extending across the periphery of the gripping device andreciprocable in the line of movement of said device, a supporting frameadjust-able with the gripping device, a rod for mounting the cuttingmeans pivotally secured to said supporting frame, a shaft journaled insaid supporting frame, an eccentric on said shaft and connectionstherefrom to said rod for vibrating said rod and reciprocating thecutting means, and driving connections between the revolving lgrippingdevice and said shaft.

3. In a beet harvesting machine, a vertically adjustable revolvinggripping device, and cutting means for severing the beets from theirtops and delivering the beets to a receptacle, said cutting meansreciprmrable in the line of movement of the revolving grippingmechanism, a frame :uljustable with the gripping device, a rod formounting said cutter pivoted at one end to said frame, a shaft rotatablein bearings carried by said supporting frame, means actuated by' saidshaft for reciprocating said cutter, driving means between the grippingdevice and said shaft, a bifureated feeler immediately below said cutterpivoted at one end perpendicularly to the recprocations of the to saldsupporting frame, the fingers of cutter. 10 which pass on opposite sidesof said rod and In testimony whereof I ax my signature beyond the cutterin ositon to receive bein presence of two Witnesses.

tween them the beet p ants and to cooperate FRANK W. KNOWLES. with saidcutter to cut the tops from the Witnesses: beets, and means between thecutter carry- THnBnsA CURRY BARKER,

ing arm and said feeler to vibrate the latter S. BRUCE WRIGHT.

